Needle rail with an insert for railroad track switching

ABSTRACT

The invention refers to a needle rail with an insert to switch railroad tracks, characterized by consisting of an elongated monolithic structure with a first upper section that includes an upper bearing header whose thickness is gradually reduced, and a second upper section with no bearing head that includes a straight vertical structure defining an upper support surface substantially flat and shaped to receive the upper coupling section of a needle insert. Outside and inside surfaces, substantially flat and perpendicular to the upper flat surface and with a lower head, are shaped to receive and brace, respectively, the inside of the contact spot of such needle insert, and the flat side of a reinforcement plate.

This invention is related to the general railroad industry; particularly, it relates to the assemblies of railroad switch fittings, and more specifically, to a structure of needle rail with an insert to switch railroad tracks.

INVENTION BACKGROUND

In the railroad industry, switching fittings assemblies are required for railroad tracks that allow trains to divert their path and which are installed at the beginning of the railroad track switching.

A needle diversion or switch is a railroad device that allows trains to switch from one track to another one. The switching needles are the track's structure used to divert the trains' wheels from a track to another one.

The railroad track diversion or switching can set on the right or the left hand side, depending on its location against a viewer located between the switching needles and looking towards the crossing. The structure consists of needles (mobile rails) that rest against their corresponding counter-needle (fixed rail) through the needle's vertical flat side, leaving suppressed a section of the skid to allowed the necessary flexibility to move and couple or uncouple the needle's end on top of the counter-needle. In turn, the needle's head is machined in order to allow the proper coupling.

The needle's head is filed in order to make them fit against their counter-needle, guide and support the train's wheels. These needles can be manufactured from normal rails or from special rails for needles. There are special profiles with a thicker fishplate and are specially used to manufacture longer and more robust needles that allow a greater traveling speed for the trains.

On the technical aspect, the needle is made of a single rail piece, which is thinned out in order to form a pointed end; its job is to divert the train towards the switch on the railroad track. This needle is attached to the supporting track using screws and a connecting block.

The main problem usually faced arises from the assembly not being perfect due to the fact that the piece is machined and angled, and this creates some movement which in turn affects the train's track switching. Furthermore, its useful life is shorter due to the wear and tear suffered throughout time. When the needle is worn, it is necessary to replace the whole piece together with the assembly since it is machined in a single piece, and when the contact area of the train's wheels wears out, the whole structure needs to be replaced.

Due to this replacement requirement, we have developed an innovative needle rail with an insert to switch railroad tracks that eliminates the inconveniences pointed out above, providing safety, a firmed attachment and above all, a safe and optimum assembly.

INVENTION OBJECTIVES

This invention's main objective is to make available a needle rail with an insert to switch railroad tracks, with design characteristics that guarantee a precise, optimum and safe assembly, with no looseness in order to prevent its movement.

Another invention objective is to make available such needle rail with an insert to switch railroad tracks that also offers greater strength and durability in its structure.

Another invention objective is to make available such needle rail with an insert to switch railroad tracks that is also safer at the moment when train cars are switching railroad tracks.

Another invention objective is to make available such needle rail with an insert to switch railroad tracks that also provides a feature that allows replacing only the detachable section of the needle, called insert, when this insert has worn out or breaks, without having to replace the whole structure.

Another invention objective is to make available such needle rail with an insert to switch railroad tracks with a low production cost and with a detachable end, which requires a replacement only on the long term.

Another invention objective is to make available such needle rail with an insert to switch railroad tracks with a modular structure that allows preventive maintenance to be performed, thus guaranteeing its operational safety.

Another invention objective is to make available such needle rail with an insert to switch railroad tracks that also guarantees an extended useful life for the nail.

Another invention objective is to make available such needle rail with an insert to switch railroad tracks that is also easy to manufacture, and with a practical and functional installation.

And all those qualities and objectives that will become apparent when providing a general and detailed description of this invention and supported by the illustrations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Generally speaking, the needle rail with an insert to switch railroad tracks, according to this invention, consists of an elongated monolithic structure with a first upper section that includes an upper bearing header whose thickness is gradually reduced, and a second upper section with no bearing head that includes a straight vertical structure defining an upper support surface substantially flat and shaped to receive the upper coupling section of a needle insert, outside and inside surfaces, substantially flat and perpendicular to the upper surface and with a lower head, shaped to receive and brace, respectively, the inside of the contact spot of such needle insert, and the flat side of a reinforcement plate; a lower arm, substantially oblique, that defines a lower angled surface shaped to support and brace to one of the skid's arm of a fixed rail on the railroad track; and a substantially angled section on the outside where the straight and the oblique arms meet, defining a substantially straight upper surface shaped to receive either the lower straight end of the nail insert or the lower straight end of the reinforcement plate.

The vertical rail arm and the insert consist of a set of cross-sectional boreholes arranged along the longitudinal section with an equal or different separation between them, shaped to receive attaching devices that allow affixing this needle insert to the needle rail and at least, a reinforcement plate; thus forming a switching needle for railroad tracks.

To better understand the invention's characteristics, the description is complemented by diagrams, which are an integral part of this invention and are provided for illustrative purposes, but not limited to the following.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of a standard needle for the switching of railroad tracks.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of needle rail assembly with an insert for railroad switching, according to this invention.

FIG. 3 shows a frontal view of an unassembled needle rail with an insert for railroad switching, according to this invention.

FIG. 4 shows a lower and inside view of a needle with an insert that sits on the needle rail for railroad switching, according to this invention.

FIG. 5 shows a conventional perspective of two needle rails with the corresponding unassembled inserts, according to this invention.

FIG. 6 shows a conventional perspective of two needle assemblies for railroad switching, showing the explanations of this invention.

For a better understanding of the invention, a detailed description is now provided for one of the modalities, shown on the diagrams for illustrative purposes, but not limited to, those attached to this description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The characteristic details of the needle rail with an insert for railroad switches are clearly explained on the following description and the illustrative diagrams attached; the same reference symbols are used to specify each part.

Making reference to FIG. 1 that shows a cross-section of a standard switching needle for the switching of railroad tracks. This figure shows a fixed rail 1 of a railroad track and a needle 2 for railroad switching; this needle 2 is machined from normal or special rails for needles, in a such a way that the bearing head or skid is thinned out on the upper section in order to provide a pointed 3 shape, and the lower section is worked and thinned out to create a support leg 4 that will attach to a bearing 6 arm 5 on the fixed rail 1; this needle includes cross-sectional boreholes to insert attaching devices 7 to affix reinforcement devices, 8 and 9 on both sides.

Referencing FIGS. 2 and 3, they show a cross-section of a needle rail assembly with an insert for railroad switching, and a perspective frontal view of the needle rail with an unassembled insert for railroad switching, respectively, according to this invention. On this figures, the needle rail with an insert to switch railroad tracks, according to this invention, consists of an elongated monolithic structure 10 with a first upper section 11 that includes an upper bearing header 12 whose thickness is gradually reduced, and a second upper section 13 with no bearing head that includes a straight vertical structure 14 defining an upper support surface 15 substantially flat and shaped to receive the upper coupling section 16 of a needle insert 17, outside 18 and inside 19 flat surfaces, perpendicular to the upper flat surface 15 and with a lower head 20, shaped to receive and brace, respectively, the inside 21 of the contact spot of such needle insert 17, or the flat side 22 of a reinforcement plate 23; a lower arm, substantially oblique 24, that defines a lower oblique surface 25 shaped to rest on and brace to one of the skid's arm of a fixed rail (not shown) on the railroad track; and a substantially angled section 26 on the outside where the straight 14 and the oblique arms 24 meet, defining a substantially flat upper surface 27 shaped to receive either the lower flat end 28 of the needle insert 17 or the lower flat end 29 of the reinforcement plate 23.

Referencing FIGS. 2 through 4, such needle insert 17 defines a straight vertical structure 30 with an internal flat surface 21 and a perpendicular upper arm 31 that defines the receiving section 16. The insert consists of an upper header 32 that gradually reduces its thickness until reaching a pointing end, where the initial thickness is equivalent to the final thickness of the upper bearing skid 12 for the rail 10.

One can also observe that the vertical straight structure 30 extends beyond the upper header 32 to attach to a larger section on this straight arm 14 of the rail 10.

On FIGS. 5 and 6, one can observe two needle rails 10 with the corresponding inserts 17 showing the details of this invention and the coupling that defines a needle for the diversion of railroad cars. One can observe the coupling of the seat's section 16 of the insert 17 with an upper support surface 15 of the rail 10, and the coupling of the inside flat face 21 to the corresponding outside flat surface 18 of the straight vertical arm 14.

The upper header 32 that gradually reduces its thickness until reaching a pointed end consists of an initial thickness equivalent to the final thickness of the upper bearing skid 12 of the rail 10, thus providing a continuation on the rolling surface. The invention has been sufficiently described so that a person with average knowledge on this subject will be able to reproduce and obtain the results stated on this invention. However, anyone with the technical knowledge related to this invention might be able to make modifications not described on this application. Nevertheless, if these modifications on a specific structure, or during the production process, require the information stated in the following claims, such structures shall be included within the scope of this invention. 

Having sufficiently described the invention, the content of the following clauses is claimed as property:
 1. A needle rail with an insert to switch railroad tracks, characterized by consisting of an elongated monolithic structure with a first upper section that includes an upper bearing header whose thickness is gradually reduced, and a second upper section with no bearing head that includes a straight vertical structure defining an upper support surface substantially flat and shaped to receive the upper coupling section of a needle insert, outside and inside surfaces, substantially flat and perpendicular to the upper flat surface and with a lower head, shaped to receive and brace, respectively, the inside of the contact spot of such needle insert, and the flat side of a reinforcement plate; a lower arm, substantially oblique, that defines a lower angled surface shaped to rest on and brace to one of the skid's arm of a fixed rail on the railroad track; and a substantially angled section on the outside where the straight and the oblique arms meet, defining a substantially flat upper surface shaped to receive either the lower flat end of the needle insert or the lower flat end of the reinforcement plate.
 2. The needle rail with an insert for switching railroad tracks, according to clam 1, and characterized by the vertical arm of the rail and the insert consisting of a set of cross-sectional boreholes arranged along the longitudinal section with an equal or different separation between them, shaped to receive attaching devices that allow affixing this needle insert to the needle rail and at least, a reinforcement plate.
 3. The needle rail with an insert for switching railroad tracks, according to clam 1, and characterized by the needle insert defining a vertical straight structure with internal and external flat surfaces, and a perpendicular upper arm that defines the receiving section and includes an upper header set on top of this perpendicular arm and consists of a cross-section whose thickness is gradually reduced until reaching a pointed end.
 4. The needle rail with an insert for switching railroad tracks, according to clam 1, and characterized by the needle insert's straight vertical structure that extends beyond its upper header to attach to a greater section on the rail's straight arm.
 5. The needle rail with an insert for switching railroad tracks, according to clams 1 and 3, and characterized by the insert's upper header that gradually reduces its thickness until reaching a pointed end, which consists of an initial thickness equivalent to the final thickness of the upper bearing skid of the rail, thus providing a continuation on the rolling surface 